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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · rash · chip · content · rule · mate · prune · ruler

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. content — the amount
  6. rash — hasty
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — a series
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — government
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com